Better Than the Day of Atonement

Better than the Day of Atonement (Bulletin Article)

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest was allowed to go into the Holy Place inside the veil before the Ark of the Lord (cf. Leviticus 16). He had to dress a certain way. He had to bathe a certain way. He had to offer certain sacrifices. All because if he didn’t, he would die. It’s not in Scripture that I’m aware of, but I’m told that at some point in history the Jews actually started to tie a rope around the high priest’s ankle in case he died inside the Holy Place. That way they could pull him out and no one else would die trying to go in and remove his body. None of the other priests were ever allowed to go into the Holy Place. Further, they weren’t even allowed to be in the tent of meeting when the high priest was in the Holy Place. If they violated these rules, they would die. Being a priest, especially being the high priest, was a bit of a frightening job.

This makes me so glad that I am under the New Covenant. Hebrews 10:19-23 is extremely comforting.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of the faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

We have a great high priest, Jesus Christ. His sacrifice was offered once for all and broke through to the Holy Place not simply on earth but in heaven. He doesn’t have to offer that sacrifice every year. It is still effective even 2000 years later and will be effective as long as the earth shall stand.

But here is what is really amazing. While no one could be in the tent of meeting when Aaron was in the Holy Place, Jesus actually takes us into the holy places by the blood of His sacrifice. God placed all the restrictions in the tabernacle because He would appear in the cloud above the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:2). If a mere man comes into the presence of God, all things being equal, he’ll die. But we are able to draw near to God in full assurance because our hearts are sprinkled clean and our bodies washed with pure water.

This is all about prayer for us. We can meet with God in prayer, any time, any place. We may be in our bedroom, in our car, in the church’s meeting place, or even in our workplace conference room, but we are still in the holy place beyond the veil in the presence of God meeting us above the mercy seat. That is how amazing the sacrifice of Jesus is.

It doesn’t matter what we are bringing to Him. God listens and cares. We do not have to fear that He is going to toss us out on our ear or worse, destroy us. We can come into His presence with blessed assurance that Jesus advocates for us. God will extend the kingly scepter and allow us to bring our praise, our confession, even our petitions.

What is even greater is that this is also about judgment. One day we will stand at the bar on high. One day our record we’ll see. Facing the sentence of life or of death, Jesus our answer will be. His blood brings us with assurance into the literal presence of God and His judgment. His sacrifice atones for our sins. His death brings us life. He advocates on our behalf. He is our propitiation. Let us walk into God’s presence with humbled yet confident heads, knowing that through Jesus Christ we will stand in God’s presence for all eternity.

When this is what is offered, why would anyone refuse to be part of Jesus Christ? What a comfort.

—Edwin L. Crozier

I Am the Lord Your God

 

I Am the LORD Your God, Who Brought You Out… (Bulletin Article)

When God gave His list of 10 commandments, He began with a simple prologue:

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Exodus 20:2, ESV).

God asserted His right to command the Israelites. If not for Him, they would be enslaved to the Egyptians. If not for Him, they would live and die in the squalor of slavery. If not for Him, they would be a dominated people. Because of Him, they were able to thrive. Because of Him, they had their own land. Because of Him, they were free.

But there is more than this assertion in this statement. At the beginning of this covenantal list of commandments, God explains why He set them free. He did not set them free so they could go anyplace possible and follow any course possible. He set them free to serve Him.

God took them out of the Egyptian bondage to slavery and would bring them into the land He would give them so they could serve Him properly. Of course, there was more to their service than these 10 commandments. But these give a good summary of His will for them. They were to serve Him and no other Gods. They were to remember Him with honor and devote their lives to Him. They were to serve each other in a God glorifying way, neither murdering, stealing, lying, nor coveting. Jesus points out that all of this is summed up by the two commands: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself.

Fast forward to our deliverance. We were just as bound, just as enslaved. God set us free. His truth sets us free (John 8:32). But why? Why did God set us free? Did He set us free so we could go about pursuing any possible behavior? Going anyplace possible? No. He set us free so we would be free to pursue Him, so we would be free to obey Him, so we would be free to serve Him.

As Galatians 5:13 says: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (ESV). Then again, Peter adds in I Peter 2:16: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (ESV).

“But that means I’m not free,” we cry. The thing we need to understand is that no one is ever free in the sense of living in any possible way and then choosing the consequence of those actions separate from behavior. The fact is we are either slaves of sin or we are slaves of God. That is, we either let sin be our master and dictate our behavior or we let God be our master and dictate how we behave. Notice what Paul says in Romans 6:20-23:

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (ESV).

If someone wants to sin, they are free from God’s will. But they are not free to choose an eternity in God’s presence while they surrender to sin’s lead. On the other hand, if someone longs to obey God, through Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 7:25), they are freed from sin’s domination. They are also freed from the consequences of that domination. I can’t imagine anyone surrendering to God’s control and wanting to choose the consequence of hell, but I know plenty who fear it will happen. It cannot. When we become a slave to God and to obedience, it necessarily leads to righteousness (Romans 6:16).

These are our options. Stay enslaved to sin or let God set you free from sin so you are free to be enslaved to Him. “Some choice,” we might be tempted to say, “I want to be my own master.” To be honest, that is simply not an option. Read what Paul said in Romans 7:7-25. When we strive to be our own masters, sin ultimately takes control. I suggest you make the choice not based on trying to be free from a master rather than enslaved. I suggest you make the choice based on the better master. Sin is a terrible taskmaster. It wants to destroy and dominate you. It leads to death and only death. God, on the other hand, is a phenomenal master. He is not arbitrary, but loving. His rule is for your good. And ultimately, His will leads you to abundant and everlasting life. What could be better?

So, understand this. God hasn’t delivered us to live in any way possible. He has delivered us to walk in His good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Let’s let God be in control. He deserves it. And ultimately, we want what His control has to offer.

—Edwin L. Crozier

God of Covenants

 

God of Covenants (Bulletin Article)

Perhaps one of the greatest and most comforting, and yet most frightening, characteristics of God is His honesty. God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18). This is not because lying is not within God’s power and ability, but because it is completely contrary to His nature. We might as well ask God to cease to exist as to ask Him to cease to tell the truth. If God cannot tell a lie, He cannot go back on His Word. Faithfulness goes hand in hand with honesty. God cannot tell a lie about what He is going to do in the future, nor can He act in such a way as to make Himself out to have been a liar. In other words, if God says He is going to do something or not do something, we can trust Him.

We see a great example of that in Genesis 9:8-17. When Noah and his family left the ark, God made a covenant with them. Not with them only, but with all of Noah’s descendants, including us. God promised to never destroy all living creatures by flood again. Note, the promise was not that He would never destroy anyone by flood again, but that He would never wipe out all the earth by flood again. Then He set a sign of the covenant in the sky—the rainbow. According to the world, the rainbow is nothing more than light refracted through water droplets in the sky. But to the Lord’s people, we know it is a promise. It is a sign. God made a promise. He’ll keep it.

He has kept it. For here we are thousands of years later without a worldwide flood. Despite the evil that has happened and transpired, God has never destroyed every living creature by flood. I have no doubt we have deserved it. I have no doubt the world has again been in the same state that caused God to want to destroy it by flood the first time. But He hasn’t done it. And every time we see a rainbow, we are reminded that God is a God who keeps His Word. God is a God who keeps His covenants. He is faithful and trustworthy.

That is a powerful comfort to His children. Each week, when we participate in the Lord’s Supper, a sign similar to the rainbow, we are reminded of God’s covenant through Jesus Christ. When we face temptation and struggle throughout the week, we might be tempted to believe that God forgets His covenant. When we face the attack of enemies and life isn’t going our way, we might be tempted to believe that God forgets His covenant. When hardship hits, we might be tempted to believe that God forgets His covenant. But remember that rainbow. Remember that God hasn’t destroyed the world by water. God keeps His promises. Remember that Lord’s Supper. God keeps His promises.

But there is a frightening side of this as well. For those who refuse the covenant, God has also made promises. God promised to never destroy every living creature by flood. But even in Genesis 8:21, God said this promise was only “while the earth remains.” In other words, the earth will come to an end someday. Peter explains that end in II Peter 3:1-13. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (ESV). On that day, Jesus will be revealed from heaven “in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (II Thessalonians 1:8, ESV). And so, Peter asks, “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness” (II Peter 3:11, ESV).

Sadly, many are happy to say that God keeps His promises to those who are His children, but who do not give Him the same credit regarding His promises to those who ignore His covenant. Too many view God as a gigantic, gruff grandfatherly figure who blusters a big talk, but in the end can’t bring Himself to carry out the punishments He has promised. But God is not that enmeshed with us. He is not so dependent on our relationship as to ignore His own boundaries. He will rescue the godly from trials, but he will reserve the unrighteous for punishment and judgment (II Peter 2:9). God cannot lie. If you haven’t surrendered to His covenant, do not be surprised when His promised judgment occurs.

However, God does want that relationship with us. Therefore, He is patient. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Peter 3:9, ESV). Why hasn’t His promised judgment or ultimate salvation taken place yet? Not because God doesn’t keep His Word, but because He does. And He wants to give everyone the opportunity to participate in the positive promises of His plan for our redemption. He doesn’t view time the same way we do. He doesn’t experience it the same way we do. So He is patient.

Let us see the rainbow and remember that God is a God of covenants. He is a God who keeps His promises. And let us “count the patience of our Lord as salvation” (II Peter 3:15, ESV). If you are already His covenant child, do not fear that the struggles of each day mean He has forgotten His promise to you. He hasn’t. If you are not His covenant child, do not rest in thinking that the safety of each day means He has forgotten His promise to you. Let His patience be your salvation. Enter His covenant today. Surrender to Jesus today. If we can help you, let us know.

God Filled in 2014

God Filled in 2014 (Bulletin article)

It’s a new year. We’ve got a new theme.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19, ESV

Since I’m preaching on this passage today, I don’t want to just tell you all about it in this article. But I do hope to get you excited about what is coming this year. I hope it can be a year of revival, a year of remembering what we are all about. It is so easy to get distracted by the rat race of life that Christianity becomes little more than “going to church” and “going to church” becomes just an item to check off our to-do list.

Christianity is not about “going to church,” keeping a list of rules, being a little bit better than everyone else, or even being significantly different from everyone else. Christianity is about glorifying God. As Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14 demonstrate, we are to be to the praise of God’s glory. That is the goal. That goal may cause us to attend assemblies, keep some rules, and even be different from a lot of other people. But the goal is God’s glory.

And, to quote one popular religious author, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” When we want Him more than we want anything or anyone else, God is glorified. When we can say along with Psalm 73:25, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (ESV), we truly bring glory to God.

But there is one thing that keeps us from being most satisfied with God. Actually, there are hundreds of things, perhaps thousands. In fact, it may be different things for each of us. That thing is distraction and there are tons of them. Satan has laid out so many distractions that promise so many things that we often turn from the glory of God and pursue the glory of other things, even ourselves. For some it is money. For others fame. For yet others recreation and entertainment. For some it is lust. For others it is food. For yet others it is arrogance and selfishness. On and on we can go. If we are not careful, like Eve, we can get our heads turned and our feet will follow.

There is actually only one way to overcome distraction. It is found in Proverbs 27:7. “One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet” (ESV).

If we are running on empty, then every little spiritual distraction is going to catch our eyes. They are going to pull us away. They are going to beg for us to taste them. If we’re spiritually starved, we will sample even those things that are bitter and disgusting. However, if we are full, Satan can lay out something as tempting and sweet as honey, but we will not be led astray by it. We’re full. We don’t need it.

How do we overcome Satan’s distractions? We must learn to be full on God. We must become God Filled. Psalm 16:5, 11 says, “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup…You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (ESV). When we grasp this, when we realize that nothing can taste as sweet as the pleasures and joys found in God, we will drink deeply of Him, His will, His Way, His Spirit, His Son. We will become so full of what is truly satisfying that the bittersweet promises of Satan will hold no sway over us.

That is what this year’s theme is about. We will learn about God, His nature, His essence, His character. We will learn about His promises, His love, His mercy. We will learn about His Son and His Spirit. We will learn about the joys and pleasures that come from pursuing Him. We will learn where true happiness and holiness can be found. We will learn that there is nothing we can do that will be greater, more meaningful, more fulfilling, than drinking from the deep and living waters of God.

Join us in every class, assembly, and opportunity as we learn what it means to be God Filled.